Improvement in rotary engines



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A VANDEMABK.

- Rotary-Engine. No, 167,367, Patented Aug. 31,1875.

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' Rotary-Engine.

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A. B. VAND EMAB K. Rotary-Engine.

No. 167,367. ed Aug- 31,1875.

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AROHIBALD B. VANDEMARK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [67,367, dated August31, 1875; application. filed June 2, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, ARGHIBALD B. VANDE- MARK, of the city, county, andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in RotaryEngines, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accom panying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 represents a vertical section in the plane a: m, Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section in the plane 3 y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is afront view.

The remaining figures are details, which will be referred to as thedescription progresses.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a rotary engine of that class in which apiston-wheel is used which carries two or more pistons having aradiallyslidi'ng motion, said piston-wheel being fitted into a cylinderwhich. is provided with stationary abutments, one or more, to separatethe steam port or ports. from the ex haust port or ports.

In my engine each of the sliding pistons is provided with anti-frictionrollers to case its radial motion in the piston-wheel. Each of thepistons is provided with two packingstrips provided with inclinedguide-noses fit? ting in the ends of the piston, said packing stripsbeing subjected to the action of springs which force them in contactwith the inner surface of the cylinder, and also-with the inner surfaceof the cylinder-heads. The pistonwheel projects into grooves in thecylinderheads, so as to form bridges for the abutments, whereby saidabutments are prevented from catching in the guide-grooves of thepistons, and tight joints are preserved. The steam is controlled by areversing-valve and an oscillating supply-valve, combined with amechanism for actuating said supplyyalve.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the cylinder of my rotaryengine, in which works the piston-wheel B, said piston-wheel beingmounted on a shaft,0, which extends through the center of the cylinder,and has its bearings in the cylinder-heads. The cylinder is bored out,so that in its interior are formed two abutments, D D, one opposite theother, as shown in Fig. 1. Each of these abutments is provided with apacking-piece, a, which is pressed against the surface of thepistonwheel by springs 11, and the ends of the pistonwheel extend intoannular grooves aim the cylindenhcads E, while the packingpieces a,

extend into recesses d in said cylinder-heads,

1, and they are provided with anti-friction rollers g, Fig. 2, so thatthey move in and out with freedom. From the ends of each piston projectgudgeons h, on which are mounted rollers 41, which travel in cam-groovesj in the cylinder-heads, so as to keep the outer ends of the pistonspositively in contact with the inner surface'of the cylinder. In theouter end of each piston are fitted two packingstrips, k, with inclinednoses l, which catch in oblique recesses in the opposite edges of thebody of the piston. (See Fig. i.) Saidpackingpieces are forced outwardin a radial direction by springs m, and other springsflz. serve to forcetheir ends against the cylinderheads, so that tight joints are formed onall sides. In the cavities f of the piston-wheel are placedpacking-strips 0, which are pressed against the sides of the pistons bysuitable springs, (see Fig. 1,) so as to prevent the steam from passingdown at the sides of said pistons. The piston-Wheel is provided withcavities p, which fill with steam, so that the pistons are exposed to auniform pressure from all sides. In one of the cylinder-heads is secureda safety-valve, F, Fig. 3, which is so adjusted that whenever thepressure in the cylinder reaches a certain limit the safetyvalve isforced open, and the surplus steam is permitted to escape.

Steam is admitted to the cylinder A through a pipe, G, and it exhauststhrough the pipe H. The steam-pipe connects by a channel, q, with twostea1n-chests,I I, each of which is provided with two ports, 1" r,leading into the cylinder, and with two ports, 8 s, which com municatewith the exhaust pipe H. Said steam-chests are cylindrical, and eachcontains a hollow-valve, J. which is so formed that. by turning it tothe position shown in Fig. l, the port 1 is brought in communicationwith the steam-pipe, and the port 1' is in communication with theexhaust-pipe, causing the piston-wheel to revolve in the direction ofthe arrow, marked near it in Fig. 1. By reversing the valves J themotion of the piston-wheel is reversed, and by turning said valves tothe proper position steam may be shut 0E entirely. From one end of eachof the valves J extends a stem, it, through one of the cylinder-heads,and on these stems are mounted suitable levers, which are connected sothat if one of said valves is turned the other has to follow. On one ofthe valve-stems is mounted the starting-bar K, which serves to turn thevalves to the required position. In each of the hollow reversing-valvesis situated a cut-off valve, L, which is mounted on a stem, u, thatextends through the cylinder-head opposite to that through which extendthe stems t of the valves J. On each of the stems a is mounted a lever,v, and these two levers are connected, so that both supply-valves haveto move simultaneously. One of the levers o is subjected to the actionof a spring, a, which has a tendency to throw the supply-valves to theposition shown in Fig. 1, causing them to close the steam-ports, and tocut ofi' the steam.

On the shaftO of the piston-wheel is mounted a disk, M, which isprovided with a cam, b, and, as the piston-wheel revolves, this cam actson one of the levers o, and throws the supply-valves open, so as toadmit steam to the cylinder. When the cam 11 passes the lever 1: thesupply-valves are closed, and the steam acts by expansion.

The cam-disk M is made in two parts, which can be adjusted so as todecrease or increase the working-surface of the cam 12, and to regulatethe time when steam is cut off. Instead of mounting both sections of thecam-disk M firmlyon the shaft 0 I propose to mount one section, M, onsaid shaft, and the other section, M, on the shaft O, which transmitsthe motion to the working-machines. (See 'Figs. 5 and 6.) In this casethe sections M M form the coupling for the shaft O 0, and in theinterior of said sections is placed a spring, a, so that when theresistance increases the section M turns a certain distance independentof the section M, and thereby the working surface of the cam b isincreased, and the supply-valves are kept open during a larger part ofthe revolution of the piston-wheel than they are if the resistancedecreases.

Instead of closing the supply-valves L by the action of a spring I canimpart to them a positive motion in either direction. This purpose iseffected by applying two cam-disks, M, one of which serves to open thesupply-valves, while the other serves to close the same. (See Fig. 7.)

W hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The piston-wheel E", having the radial cavities f, in combinationwith the pistons E, having the anti-friction rollers g, and arranged insaid radial cavities and gudgeons h, having rollers 6 working incam-grooves in the cylinder-heads, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the radially-arranged pistons E, thepacking-strips 70, provided with inclined guide-noses fitting inrecesses in the ends of the pistons, and springs m and n, for forcingthe packing-pieces in a radial direction, and against thecylinder-heads, substantially as described.

3. The abutments D, provided with the packing-strips a, and springs 11,for forcing the same outward, in combination with the piston-wheel B,and the cylinder heads E", having the grooves c and bridges 0, allsubstantially as described.

4. The combination of the reversing-valve J, with the oscillatingsupply-valve L, and mechanism for actuating said supply-valve,substantially as set forth.

5. The disks M M, and intervening spring 0, in combination with thecut-off valve L, with the shaft O of the engine, and with a shaft, Otransmitting motion to the working-machines, substantially as shown anddescribed.

6. The combination of a compound cam, M b, with the cut-off valve L,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that -I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand andseal this 31st day of May, 1875.

A. B. VANDEMARK.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

